New Books - NewInBooks

Interview with BR Kingsolver, Author of The Gambler Grimoire

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write The Gambler Grimoire?

Most academy/college urban fantasy novels are written as Young Adult or New Adult stories, with students as the main characters. I wanted to use that setting, but with adults as the main characters. A college makes a great cozy mystery setting.

If you woke up in the world of The Gambler Grimoire, what is the first thing you would do?

It is a rather comfortable world. Other than witches and magic being common, it's basically the world we live in.

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

A not-very-good cozy mystery with two-dimensional characters that is really slow.

Where did you write The Gambler Grimoire?

I do most of my writing at the kitchen table. There's a bay window that overlooks a golf course with the mountains in the distance.

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

Downhill skiing. Senior division.

BR Kingsolver is the author of the new book The Gambler Grimoire (Wicklow College of Arcane Arts Book 1)

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Interview with Erin Ritch, Author of Witchy Coffee

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Witchy Coffee?

I started writing Witchy Coffee in December 2020, when the pandemic felt especially dark and bleak. I had been watching a lot of Hallmark movies (as I usually do around the holidays...well, at any time, really) and loved the escapism they offered. That got me inspired to write my own "Hallmark style" story. I started compiling a list of all things that made me feel cozy - coffee, the Oregon coast, the holidays, and finding magic in everyday life. And from there, a story was born!

I based the fictional town of Windia on the actual town of Astoria, Oregon, which most people recognize as the place where The Goonies was filmed. It truly is a magical community where you feel on top of the world. As I was writing, Witchy Coffee became my safe place to escape to, filled with all things magical and welcoming, and where everything works out in the end - just like in those Hallmark movies. I hope everyone that reads the story will feel the same.

If you woke up in the world of Witchy Coffee, what is the first thing you would do?

I would go straight to The Yurt and order the coffee special of the day! (Hopefully the Salted Sea Mussel Macchiato with sand sprinkles.) "The Yurt" is the name of the coffee shop that is at the heart of Witchy Coffee. I'd want to explore every nook and cranny and enjoy my coffee at the table with the very best view of the Pacific. I’d love the chance to share funny conversations with all my characters, ideally over more coffee and Pearl's baked treats!

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

When the Ton's most eligible bachelor Anthony Bridgerton announces he will marry, it's no surprise the lucky lady is Edwina Sheffield, this year's "diamond of the season." But fate has its own ideas, and when Anthony suddenly marries Edwina's sister Kate Sheffield instead, has this reformed rake finally found love? You can trust that Lady Whistledown's Society Papers will keep everyone informed of all the scandalous details.

Where did you write Witchy Coffee?

Most of Witchy Coffee was handwritten in the morning at my dining room table - with a cup of coffee, of course! Between my kids eating breakfast and playing dolls upstairs, I had about an hour to myself to write before my kids needed me again. And that's okay, it was just the right amount of time to finish my coffee and explore Windia before returning to "real life."

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?

Because of her witchy family background and connection to the ocean and forest, I would pick Samain Night by Loreena McKennitt as Florence Mackenzie's theme song. (I can absolutely envision her taking a walk down the beach on an autumn day listening to this!) And I would pick Go Your Own Way by Fleetwood Mac for Samson Richards’ theme song. That song makes me think how Samson is trying to step out of his father's shadow and, well, "go his own way."

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

I would compete in artistic swimming! I love to swim (I learned to swim in the lakes of Oregon) and I also love to dance (I took ballet lessons as a teen.) The athletes that compete in artistic swimming are so elegant and fierce, I love to watch their routines. And their makeup is always on point!

Erin Ritch is the author of the new book Witchy Coffee

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Interview with Teri Wilson, Author of Once Upon a Royal Summer

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Once Upon a Royal Summer?

A couple of years ago I attended a Cinderella character dinner at Disney World in Orlando when I was there for a writing conference. I went with a group of romance authors, and we had the best time! I remember thinking how much fun it would be to write a book about someone who had the job of a theme park character. Then last year, after seeing a super glamorous photo of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle sharing an umbrella and surrounded by raindrops that looked like falling stars, I really wanted to write a royal romance. I spent a weekend trying to figure out who my fictional prince should fall in love with, and when I remembered that Cinderella character dinner, I knew I had my perfect couple.

If you woke up in the world of Once Upon a Royal Summer, what is the first thing you would do?

The book is sort of split into two halves—the first half takes place at Lacey’s theme park in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and the second half is set in Prince Henry’s kingdom, Bella-Moritz, near the French Riviera. If I woke up in the first half of the book, I would definitely head straight to Lacey’s tea party at the Ever After Castle. If I woke up in the second half of the book, I think I’d nibble on macarons and sip champagne at one of the sidewalk cafés in Grand Flower Park.

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

Cinderella is a contestant on The Bachelor, and the suitor just might be her Prince Charming. This is for If The Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, and it’s a delightful read!

Where did you write Once Upon a Royal Summer?

I wrote most of Once Upon a Royal Summer during Covid lockdown in 2020, so the bulk of it was written in my home office while I was hanging out with my dogs. It’s such a whimsical, joyful story and was the perfect escape during a difficult time. I hope people feel the same way about it when they read it.

If you had to pick theme songs for the main characters of your book, what would they be?

What a fun question!

Lacey’s theme song would definitely be something from a Disney movie, probably A Dream is a Wish Your Heart Makes from Cinderella. Lacey’s job is being a theme park princess, but a lot of her actual personality goes into her character of Princess Sweet Pea.

Prince Henry’s song would have to be Save the Last Dance for Me by Michael Bublé, because he and Lacey have a special connection on the dance floor, no matter whose castle they’re dancing in!

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

I would compete in one of the equestrian events because I’m a big animal lover and I love all the posh ceremony surrounding those events.

Teri Wilson is the author of the new book Once Upon a Royal Summer

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Interview with AJ Rugg, Author of Esther

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Esther?

I’ve been into Fantasy since reading Ursula Le Guin’s A Wizard of Earthsea when I was a kid. My love for the genre turned into a bit of an obsession in my late teens and I found I was devouring every fantasy title I could get my hands on. Eventually, I found myself wishing that there was a bit of this book in that book and wondering what would happen if the characters of that book were to find themselves in the same situation as this book. After a while, the perfect (at least in my mind) set of characters and situations, world features, and bad guys came into being and I started writing the book. It took a very long time to finish.

If you woke up in the world of Esther, what is the first thing you would do?

I’d sit down with my character Mahilde and have a cup of tea. I’d listen to her talk of her worries and then I’d give her a big hug. Mahilde is a lonely old soul who has an impossible task, but she does it anyway. I think that’s what makes true heroes - those that know they’re going to fail but then do it anyway. I’d then have a strong word with Esther and tell her that she’s a kick ass warrior and to stop doubting herself. But then again, if I were to do that she wouldn’t learn all the things she does along the way and the book wouldn’t be nearly as interesting.

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

The last book I read was David Gemmell’s Sword in the Storm. I’ve actually lost track of how many times I’ve read this book, but I try to read it at least once a year. It inspires me. The blurb would say ‘Read this if you want to experience truly beautiful fantasy writing. Emulate it at your own risk.

Where did you write Esther?

It took me for than ten years to write Esther and I was fortunate to be traveling a lot during that time. My work and my travels took me to me to the Muslim islands of southern Thailand and I based the race of the Salat on the Thais there. I also wrote in the United Arab Emirates and Denmark and based two other cultures on the locals of those places. I write when I'm not working, which is part of the reason it took so long to finish Esther. I write mostly by hand, usually at my kitchen table.

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

This year was the first time I really enjoyed watching the Olympics. In the middle of a Pandemic, it was just what the world needed. There was something really inspiring about watching the athletes. Their whole lives had led to that one point and they only had that one chance. I commend every one of them. I think I’d compete in skateboarding if I magically qualified. They were all so cool and really seemed to support each other. I loved the sportsmanship on show. The young female skaters were amazing and great role models for my baby daughter.

AJ Rugg is the author of the new book Esther (The Watcher Trilogy Book 1)

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Interview with Jurrell A. Pabrezis, Author of Forever Free

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Forever Free?

Forever Free is a fictionalized version of a very true time in my life. Many years ago, I joined a wrestling club in the Boston area. I met a lot of great people, three in particular that were like brothers. I wanted to honor the people and the memories that helped shape my life.

If you woke up in the world of Forever Free, what is the first thing you would do?

I would head for wrestling training. I very much enjoyed my daily routine back then. I miss those days. I would have wrestling to occupy my time, which gave me focus. I would then head to the local Irish pub with my friends where we would recall our larger-than-life tales of the world we thought we would conquer.

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

The last book I read was, The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway. I read it every year. If I wrote a blurb, I would say, a lost generation can always be found if they were never truly lost. According to Hemingway, "We too may have been battered, but we were never lost."

The expatriates of Hemingway and co. were changed by the war as they were coming of age. My brotherhood of friends and I, in that aspect, were forever changed by our shared experiences through life in the times of wrestling. Anyone that feels lost should read his novel. It reads like a road map of the stars that helps the lost become found again.

Where did you write Forever Free?

Forever Free was written at home in December 2019, but it originally began as life progressed, and those experiences became distant memories. This was between 1999-2010. The words were always in my head. I just needed to have some distance from it, yet I needed to still be close enough that those written memories conveyed the emotions necessary to tell the story.

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

Given the topic of my novel, it'd be wrestling. It was the first true place where I felt like an artist and a superhero at the same time. If my former wrestler self emerged once more, I'd take home the gold.

Jurrell A. Pabrezis is the author of the new book Forever Free (The Forever Series Book 1)

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Interview with K.L. Kreig, Author of Time Stamps

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Time Stamps?

A personal health scare prompted the underlying theme of the story. I talk about this a bit at the very end of the book.

If you woke up in the world of Time Stamps, what is the first thing you would do?

Make friends with Roth and Laurel! Then go swing-dancing with them. 🙂

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

A harrowing, rich, immersive story of life, love, and raw survival during the Great Depression.

Where did you write Time Stamps?

The majority of this novel was written in the comfort of my gray houndstooth settee in my living room while burning the midnight oil.

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

Gymnastics. I've always dreamed of being a gymnast.

K.L. Kreig is the author of the new book Time Stamps

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Interview with Ben Wiener, Author of Murder at First Principles

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Murder at First Principles?

This zany story about a Silicon Valley serial killer using proven business strategies to target victims was swirling around in my head, and I desperately wanted to read the book to find out what happened. So I wrote it.

If you woke up in the world of Murder at First Principles, what is the first thing you would do?

Run far away from San Rafael.

What's your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write?

As a professional investor, I derive great benefit from non-fiction, but my true love is great fiction. As a result, I only write fiction, though my stories always convey some lesson or content that is woven into the plot.

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

"Arguably the most important conversation of our time." A deeply thought-provoking survey of the practical, ethical, societal, and scientific options and risks of super-intelligence. Literally the future of life and our universe. Life 3.0 by Max Tegmark.

Where did you write Murder at First Principles?

At a standing desk in my home office, fueled by a steady stream of Nespresso Scuro Americanos.

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

Freestyle Dishwashing.

Ben Wiener is the author of the new book Murder at First Principles

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Interview with Sarah Kraft, Author of Five Years Later

What's the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Five Years Later?

There was so much that went into Five Years Later. It was inspired in many ways by my own life and the emotional turmoil I had to unravel in my twenties. Most kids are just getting on their feet at this stage in life, but the ground beneath mine was torn out from under me as my parents divorced and my family fell apart. I had to leave college. I had to leave my home of twenty years. My dad and I could hardly speak to each other. I felt angry and betrayed and terrified, and guilty on top of it all for having all those emotions... but it got me to where I needed to be today. It made me realize I not only wanted to tell a modern-day love story (I usually write paranormal) but a story about overcoming family trauma as well as overcoming our own selves. It takes a lot of courage to face our demons. It takes even more courage to take them by the hand and say "I acknowledge you" so that you can begin the process of moving forward.

If you woke up in the world of Five Years Later, what is the first thing you would do?

The first thing I would do is get in Scott Darcy's Tacoma and tell him we're going on an adventure! I loved developing Scott's character. He was such a cold, tough-ass at first but the more I got to know him in my own head, the more I wanted to put him on paper. What did he really want? Who was he really? I loved finding out, because even I wasn't sure until the end of Five Years Later!

If you had to write a blurb for the last book you read, what would it say?

I am currently reading Athena Bahri's Raise Your Vibes and I'm pretty sure if I had to write the intro blurb it would read, "Come one, come all, Moon Children and Scientific Skeptics alike!" I love books that focus on Eastern and Indian medicine like sound bathing and meditation, and while I am a heavy skeptic as well I'm also a believer in the power of our wild, amazing Universe.

Where did you write Five Years Later?

I wrote most of Five Years Later while curled up in some strange positions on my bed that resulted in tailbone strain and the need to bring a memory foam pillow to my office job... Yes, it was worth it. Haha!

Pretend you qualified for the Olympics this year. What sport would you compete in?

Hiking...if it were an Olympic sport, but since it's not probably running. I'm a get-up-and-go kind of girl for sure!

Sarah Kraft is the author of the new book Five Years Later

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New Mystery and Thriller Books to Read | August 24

Hold on to the edge of your seat as we hunt for clues and solve the case with these exciting new mystery and thriller books for the week! There are so many bestselling authors with new novels for you to dive into this week including Ben Wiener, Thomas Mullen, Louise Penny, and many more. Enjoy your new mystery, thriller, and suspense novels. Happy reading!

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New Romance Books to Read | August 24

Looking to fall in love with some new romance reads? You’ll adore these exciting new novels! This week you can get your hands on books by bestselling authors Sarah Kraft, Willow Winters, KL Kreig, Erin Ritch, Teri Wilson, and more. Enjoy your new romance books and happy reading!